Vitamin A status does not contribute to the residual goiter in schoolchildren of Isfahan, an iodine replenished area.

Two thousand three hundred and thirty-one schoolchildren were selected by multi-stage random sampling. The thyroid size was estimated by inspection and palpation. The urinary iodine concentration and serum retinol (SR) were measured in 454 and 468 schoolchildren, respectively. Overall, 32.9% of 2,331 children had goiter. The median urinary iodine concentration was 195.5 microg/l. The mean+/-standard deviation of SR in goitrous and non-goitrous children was 34.84+/-7.28 microg/dl and 33.73+/-7.87 microg/dl, respectively (P=0.14). There was no child with vitamin A deficiency (SR <20 microg/dl) in both the goitrous and non-goitrous groups. The prevalence of subjects with low vitamin A status (SR <30 microg/dl) in the goitrous and non-goitrous groups was 27.7% and 33.3%, respectively (P=0.21). In conclusion, the present study reveals that vitamin A deficiency and low vitamin A status are not among the contributing factors of goiter persistence in the studied area, and the role of other responsible factors should be investigated.